Process for conveying solid surstances through channels, pipes, and the like



Patented May 26, 1936 UNITED STATS PROCESS FOR CONVEYING SOLID 9TB? FIQE SUB- STANCES THROUGH CHANNELS, PIPES,

AND THE LIKE No Drawing.

Application January 14, 1935,

Serial No. 1,756. In Great Britain January 13,

7 Claims.

(Granted under the provisions of sec. 14, act of March 2, 1927; 357 O. G. 5)

The invention concerns a process for conveying solid substances, e. g. stones, gravel, earth or the like, through channels, pipes or suchlike conduits, preferably with the aid of compressed air. Similar processes are already known. For instance, with the so-called refuse-blowing process hollow spaces in mines are filled up with earth, stones, etc. by preparing a mixture of the refuse with water and forcing it with the aid of compressed air into the hollow spaces to be filled up. In some cases, when conveying pulverulent substances such as coal dust or ash, the use of water is even dispensed with and the material is conveyed under pressure through the conduits with the aid of compressed air alone, when care is taken that the material is thoroughly mixed with the compressed air, so that, so to speak, a sort of coal-air emulsion or of air-ash emulsion is formed. As a matter of fact, the expression emulsion is out of place here, as there is no question of a true emulsion, but it is sometimes used in the literature to symbolize the thorough mixture of the separate components. However, a drawback of all these processes is that the feeding device, where the compressed air is directed to the material to be conveyed, shows consider able wear, as also phenomena of corrosion and erosion. Therefore, with a View to reducing the wear of the conveying plant, it has already been suggested to add oil to the dry material to be conveyed. However, if it is really desired that the separate particles of the material to be conveyed as also the conduits themselves are covered with a film of oil, this Would necessitate such enormous quantities of oil that the application of this suggestion in practice, e. g. for the refuseblowing process, becomes questionable. Consequently this process can, as a matter of fact, only be applied in such cases where the presence of oil is desirable for other reasons than those of transport, e. g. in the manufacture of the so-called flow coal, a mixture of coal dust and oil can be conveyed under pressure just as a liquid fuel through lines and discharged through nozzles. Therefore, in this case, a coal-oil emulsion is formed, 1. e. an emulsion of the material to be conveyed and the conveying agent. Naturally this is only possible in those cases where the material to be conveyed is powderor dust-like.

On the other hand, the present invention consists in conveying solid substances, such as stones, gravel or earth, through pipes, channels, etc., in admixture with an emulsion of water and a readily emulsifiable oil. The order in which the various components of the resulting mixture are added to each other is of no consequence. For example, a ready emulsion may be prepared beforehand and may be admixed with the solid material, or water and oil may be added separately to the solid material, either oil or water being added first. Care should, however, be taken to effect a thorough mixing of the resulting ma.- terial so as to secure the formation of an emulsion. Naturally the addition of water may be omitted in such cases where the material to be conveyed already contains a sufiicient percentage of water.

The emulsion added to and mixed thoroughly with the material to be conveyed covers the separate particles of the material with a thin but extremely resistant film. At the same time a thin wear-proof film is formed on the metal parts of the feeding device and the conveyor coming into contact with the material to be conveyed. The lubricating efiect of this film sufiices to reduce the wear to a considerable extent, whilst the film has, moreover, an anti-corrosive effect. In this manner it is possible to reduce the wear considerably with the aid of very small quantities of oil, as could be demonstrated by practical tests on a large scale. This renders economic application of the process possible also in such cases where, as with the refuse-blowing process, the presence of oil should not per se be necessary.

Therefore, the following features are necessary to characterize the essence of the invention:

1. There must be material to be conveyed, to which the emulsion is added. Consequently the material to be conveyed is no component of the emulsion. The material to be conveyed need not necessarily be powdery or pulverulent; it may also occur in lumps, such as e. g. stones.

2. The presence of water is necessary.

3. The presence of oil is necessary, but not that of any optional oil, but of an oil which emulsifies readily with water.

4. Care has to be taken that the components of the emulsion are thoroughly mixed, so that an emulsion is formed.

In principle any mineral oil, e. g. of the lubricating oil type, containing a suitable emulsifying agent, may be applied as readily emulsifying oil. The oil-soluble alkaline salts of the sulphonic acids, obtained by the treatment of mineral oils with sulphuric acid, come particularly into consideration.

As further examples of the application of the process according to the invention may be mentioned: ash-removing installations in boiler houses, treating processes with blast furnace slag,

a conduit abrasive solids admixed with substantial transport of granulated earths, pea ore, pea coke, etc.

' What I claim is: o l

1. In the proces's'of conveying abrasivelsolids by meansof a conduit, the step of preventing damage to the conduit by mixing said solids with water and a' small quantity of 'an emulsifiable oil to form a. fluid mixture.

2. In the process of conveying relatively coarse mineral aggregate by means of a conduit, the step of preventing damage tothe conduit by mixing said aggregate with water and a small quantity of an emulsifiable oil to form a fluid mixture.

3. In the process of conveying abrasive solids by means of a conduit, the step of preventing dam' age to the conduit by mixing said solids with an aqueous emulsion of oil to form a fluid mixture.

4. In theiprocess of conveying by means of a amounts of water, the step of preventing damage 7 to the conduit by emulsifying a small quantity of oil in said Water to form a non-abrasive fluid mixture. a

. 5. In the process of conveying abrasive solids by means of a conduit, the step of preventing damage to the conduit by mixing said solids with Water, an emulsifiable oil and an emulsifying agent to form a fluid mixture.

6. In the process of conveying abrasive solids by means of a metallic conduit, the step of preventing wear and corrosion of the conduit by mixing said solids with water, an emulsifiable oil and a rust-inhibiting emulsifying agent to form a fluid mixture. 1

'7. In the process of claim 6, using soaps of sulfonic acids as emulsifying agents.

K RL KREKELER; 

